Information about Building Approvals data cubes
The files under the data cubes heading contain data for small geographic areas in Excel and SuperTABLE formats. Excel files contain data for a financial year whereas SuperTABLE files contain data for individual months. Excel files open with all geographic areas displayed whereas the SuperTABLE files require users to specify those to display by using the "recode" option on the geography field (tip: hold the shift key and click the icon } to quickly view all the available geographic levels).

Please note that Building Approvals data are subject to revision. Data cubes are re-released each month including data for the latest month and revisions to data for previous months.
SuperTABLE data cubes

Number and Value ($m) of Approvals, States and Territories is a SuperTABLE dataset containing state level data for all states/territories for the latest 37 months.

Classifications

State/Territories

All States & Territories

Reference Month

Monthly (latest 37 months)

Sector of Ownership

Private, Public, Total

Type of Building

Houses, Other Residential, Residential, Non-residential, Non-house and Total building

Type of Work

New, Alterations & additions (incl. conversions and refurbishments), Total work

Data Items

Value of approval ($m), Number of dwelling units (no.)

Statistical Area 2s: State are SuperTABLE datasets containing Statistical Area 2, Statistical Area 3, Statistical Area 4, and Greater Capital City Statistical Area data for that state/territory for each month.

Note SuperTABLE does not distinguish between cells containing the value zero ('0') and cells unavailable for publication ('np'); these all appear in the SuperTABLE datacubes as '-'. As a result, manual aggregation containing such cells should be treated with caution.
The table below shows which cross classifications are available. Therefore if any of the cells for these cross-classifications appear as '-' users can assume the value is 'nil or rounded to zero, including null cells'. For all other instances, users should assume the value is 'not available for publication but included in totals where applicable, unless otherwise indicated'.

Building Type

Sector of Ownership

Type of Work

Variables

Houses

Private/Public/Total

New/Total

Number of dwellings and Value of Approval ($000)

Semi-detached, row or terrace houses, townhouses -
One storey

Private/Public/Total

New

Number of dwellings and Value of Approval ($000)

Semi-detached, row or terrace houses, townhouses -
Two storey

Private/Public/Total

New

Number of dwellings and Value of Approval ($000)

Semi-detached, row or terrace houses, townhouses - Total

Private/Public/Total

New

Number of dwellings and Value of Approval ($000)

Flats units or apartments - In a one or two storey block

Private/Public/Total

New

Number of dwellings and Value of Approval ($000)

Flats units or apartments - In a three storey block

Private/Public/Total

New

Number of dwellings and Value of Approval ($000)

Flats units or apartments - In a four or more storey block

Private/Public/Total

New

Number of dwellings and Value of Approval ($000)

Flats units or apartments - Total including those attached to a house

Private/Public/Total

New

Number of dwellings and Value of Approval ($000)

Total Other Residential

Private/Public/Total

New

Number of dwellings and Value of Approval ($000)

Total Residential

Private/Public/Total

New/Alterations and additions/Conversions/Alterations and additions including conversions/Total

Number of dwellings and Value of Approval ($000)

Retail and Wholesale Trade Buildings

Private/Public/Total

Total

Value of Approval ($000)

Transport Buildings

Private/Public/Total

Total

Value of Approval ($000)

Offices

Private/Public/Total

Total

Value of Approval ($000)

Commercial Buildings nec

Private/Public/Total

Total

Value of Approval ($000)

Commercial Buildings Total

Private/Public/Total

Total

Value of Approval ($000)

Factories and other secondary production buildings

Private/Public/Total

Total

Value of Approval ($000)

Warehouses

Private/Public/Total

Total

Value of Approval ($000)

Agricultural and aquacultural buildings

Private/Public/Total

Total

Value of Approval ($000)

Other Industrial buildings nec

Private/Public/Total

Total

Value of Approval ($000)

Industrial Buildings Total

Private/Public/Total

Total

Value of Approval ($000)

Education Buildings

Private/Public/Total

Total

Value of Approval ($000)

Religion Buildings

Private/Public/Total

Total

Value of Approval ($000)

Aged care facilities

Private/Public/Total

Total

Value of Approval ($000)

Health buildings

Private/Public/Total

Total

Value of Approval ($000)

Entertainment and recreation buildings

Private/Public/Total

Total

Value of Approval ($000)

Short term accommodation buildings

Private/Public/Total

Total

Value of Approval ($000)

Other non-residential nec

Private/Public/Total

Total

Value of Approval ($000)

Other Non-Residential Total

Private/Public/Total

Total

Value of Approval ($000)

Total non-residential

Private/Public/Total

Total

Number of Dwellings and Value of Approval ($000)

Dwellings excluding new residential

Private/Public/Total

Total

Number of Dwellings and Value of Approval ($000)

Dwellings excluding new houses

Private/Public/Total

Total

Number of Dwellings and Value of Approval ($000)

Total

Private/Public/Total

Total

Number of Dwellings and Value of Approval ($000)

Local Government Areas: State, Year are SuperTABLE datasets containing Local Government Area data for that state/territory for each month in the relevant year.

Classifications

Geographic Classification

Local Government Area (LGA) and State

Reference Month

Monthly (yyyy refers to the financial year)

Sector of Ownership

Private, Public, Total

Type of Building

Houses, Other residential, Residential, Non-residential, Total building

Type of Work

New, Alterations & additions (incl. conversions and refurbishments), Total work

All cross tabulation available for SA2 are available at the LGA level, as well the additional data items detailed in the table below.

Building Type

Sector of Ownership

Type of Work

Variables

Houses

Private/Public/Total

New

Number of Jobs, Dwellings and Value of Approval ($000) by dwelling and value ranges

Total Other Residential

Private/Public/Total

New

Number of Jobs, Dwellings and Value of Approval ($000) by dwelling and value ranges

Total Residential

Private/Public/Total

New

Number of Jobs, Dwellings and Value of Approval ($000) by dwelling and value ranges

Commercial Buildings Total

Private/Public/Total

Total

Number of Jobs, Value of Approval ($000) by value ranges

Industrial Buildings Total

Private/Public/Total

Total

Number of Jobs, Value of Approval ($000) by value ranges

Other Non-Residential Total

Private/Public/Total

Total

Number of Jobs, Value of Approval ($000) by value ranges

Total non-residential

Private/Public/Total

Total

Number of Jobs, Value of Approval ($000) by value ranges

Validation Table for use with SuperTABLE data cubes

The validation table is an Excel spreadsheet containing state level data for checking purposes when using SuperTABLE datasets. It is VERY IMPORTANT to check totals from tables created against the validation table to ensure you have extracted correct data. Each classification must be added to the table or over-counting will result. If a classification is not added to the table, all levels or components of that classification will be added together. As some classifications contain subtotals and totals already, this will result in some records being counted more than once. Therefore, even if a classification is not required in the table, at least one category should be subset and added to the table. For example, if the Public/Private sector split is not required you should still add the Total category for this classification or SuperTABLE will add the Public, Private and Total categories together for the number and value data in the table resulting in double-counting.

Excel Spreadsheets

Statistical Area 2s: State, Year are Excel spreadsheets containing Statistical Area 2 data for that state/territory for the relevant year.

Information available

Geographic Classification

Statistical Area 2 (SA2), Statistical Area 3 (SA3), Statistical Area 4 (SA4), Greater Capital City Statistical Area and State

Time period

Total year, or year to date for the current financial year

Data items

New houses (number and value)
New other residential building (number and value)
Total dwellings (number)
Alterations and additions to residential buildings (value)
Total residential building (value)
Non-residential building (value)
Total building (value)

Local Government Areas: State, Year are Excel spreadsheets containing Local Government Area data for that state/territory for the relevant year.

Information available

Geographic Classification

Local Government Area (LGA) and State

Time period

Total year, or year to date for the current financial year

Data items

New houses (number and value)
New other residential building (number and value)
Total dwellings (number)
Alterations and additions to residential buildings (value)
Total residential building (value)
Non-residential building (value)
Total building (value)

Volatility of Local Government Area and Statistical Area 2Data

Note that the estimates for small areas vary from month to month and caution should be used in drawing conclusions from monthly movements.

For Further Information

For any queries about the Buildings data in the cubes, please contact the National Information and Referral Service 1300 135 070.

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